Streamer goes viral after broadcasting UFC pay-per-view while pretending to play UFC video game

UPDATE: Twitch issues 24-hour ban.

News
by Wesley Yin-Poole, Deputy Editor

Updated on 5 December 2017

UPDATE 5th December 2017: The streamer who hit the headlines after broadcasting a real-life UFC pay-per-view event while pretending to play the latest UFC video game says he's been issued a 24-hour ban on Twitch.

Lester's Twitch channel at the time of publication.

Adrian Lester, from the US, streamed the entire UFC 218 broadcast on Saturday night across multiple platforms, including Twitch - with controller in hand.

In a Periscope broadcast earlier this morning, Lester said the weekend's events has gained him 3000 followers on Twitch, 3000 followers on Twitter and over 1000 subscribers on his YouTube channel.

"Just got to ride the wave and pray I don't go to jail or get sued," Lester said. "Hey, people do this stuff all the time. If they want to get me, they got to get everyone else who's streaming.

"It's cool for the most part. I enjoy it. Especially when it comes to streaming. The timing of it was so perfect too because the beta just came out.

"Just going to ride the wave. You really think you can get in trouble? I could. If they really wanted to.

"All these articles saying this and that, I'm like, oh my god.

"People emailing me for interviews and shit. I need at least 10 Gs to ask me some questions! I'm famous right now! Just to talk to me costs 10k. Send me an email cost you five."

ORIGINAL STORY 4th December 2017: An ingenious streamer broadcast a real-life UFC pay-per-view event while pretending to play the latest UFC video game - and got away with it.

AJ Lester, from the US, streamed the entire UFC 218 broadcast on Saturday night across multiple platforms, including Twitch - with controller in hand.

A clip of the stream, which has gone viral on social media, shows Lester making noises as if he's playing the game. At one point he even complains that he should have blocked a hit. On-screen, the main event between UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway and Brazilian great Jose Aldo can be seen with a picture of Lester in the bottom right-hand corner.

How has he pretended to play a ufc fight on stream to avoid getting copyrighted LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL pic.twitter.com/I4ykqwqrTA

The tweet above has seen nearly 60,000 retweets and over 130,000 likes. The clip has already been covered by UFC publications.

In a follow-up Fortnite stream on Twitch, Lester addressed his newfound fame, saying he had to turn his email notifications off because of the number of followers he was getting on Twitter and other platforms.

In response to questions around the legality of his actions, and the threat of recriminations from Twitch, Lester said he has so far not heard from any authority. He also said he has deleted the VOD of the fight. But he doesn't sound particularly concerned.

Lester, who before now was an unknown streamer who dabbled in livestreaming on a variety of platforms on a part-time basis, now finds himself thrust into the headlines.

"I sat on 2000 followers for five years, and now that viral video has boosted me up like crazy," he said on-stream.

Twitch is no stranger to illegal broadcasts of live sporting events. The platform is often used to stream Premier League football matches before they're taken down.

EA, maker of the UFC video game, will likely be pleased - with hundreds of thousands of views on social media relating to UFC 3, this is the best form of advertising the company could have hoped for - especially considering last week's microtransactions furore.

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